One dead in fire at student apartment near USC

A fire at a student housing complex near USC’s campus left one resident dead Tuesday afternoon. David Terhune, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

He was not a USC student, school officials said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to the one-unit fire on the second floor of the Heritage student apartments at 2353 Portland St. around 2 p.m.

Heritage manages multiple properties near USC and is not affiliated with the university. A spokesperson for the Cardinal Group, which manages Heritage, said the victim was a resident of the unit.

“We are deeply saddened by this loss and understand the impact it has on our community,” the spokesperson said.

Oct. 15: This story was updated with the identity of the fire’s victim.

Tomo Chien can be reached at [email protected].